Once you’ve decided to hire a Chief of Staff, crafting the perfect job description is the next step in the process. In order to craft a job description, understanding your needs and defining the role are essential.
More specifically, a job post should provide a descriptive overview, the day-to-day responsibilities and the professional and personality requirements of this unique position. To help you find the ideal Chief of Staff, let’s cover these three areas in more detail below.
1. Overview
The overview should initially state to whom the Chief of Staff will be reporting. Most often, this is the CEO, but it could be other members of the Leadership Team. The purpose of the Chief of Staff position should also be explained here. Depending on the size of your company, the purpose may vary greatly. But, in general, this section includes the goals, objectives and impact of the Chief of Staff. For early stage businesses, the purpose may be to streamline workflows. Providing more strategic initiatives may be the purpose for larger, ready to scale businesses. Your Chief of Staff should have a positive can-do attitude, should be able to communicate well with people of many different communication styles, and of course, should have proven skills and aptitudes in more than on functional area of your business.
2. Responsibilities
The Chief of Staff responsibilities should clearly define the day-to-day tasks. They should be aligned with the purpose and allow candidates to understand the job’s specifics. For example, if the purpose is to streamline workflows, a responsibility may be to collaborate cross-functionally in order to create processes across the organization. Or, if the purpose is to lead strategic initiatives, executing a talent strategy or improving customer retention may be listed under this part of the job description.
3. Requirements
Professionally, there are previous experiences and skills that fit what’s expected of a Chief of Staff. For instance, having a 10 year background in management consulting, investment banking or business operations translates well to a Chief of Staff. These roles train professionals to work hard, be analytical and manage projects. As far as personality traits, search for candidates who possess empathy, since understanding others is a crucial part of being a successful Chief of Staff. Excellent communication skills are also important when navigating cross-functionally within an organization.
Writing a detailed job description is needed for hiring any role. But, as a Chief of Staff’s purpose can vary greatly across industries and business size, a thorough job description is essential for finding the right candidates. It will allow applicants to fully understand the needs of the executive, the objectives of this complex role and what is required on a daily basis. If you include all of this information in your Chief of Staff job description, you will find the perfect fit for your organization.
